Engine



March 13, 1956 w. E. sWENsoN 2,737,933

fl Hummm uuml/wn March 13, 1956 w E, SWENSQN 2,737,933

ENGINE Filed Oct. 11, 1952 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. Wa/4M f.' J` WEA/501V BMWH Fill-74 March 13, 1956 w. E. swENsoN 2,737,933

l ENGINE Filed OCC. l1. 1952 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 r"- M O 1 O -lf Il Q Ol I UI g |11 a 'a a O s WMI M( m fg s y R O 3 O Q 1 -grr g O y g l m LINVENTOR E] la March 13, 1956 Filed OCC. l1, 1952 W. E. SWENSON ENGINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN1/EN TOR. WA4/w SMH/sam March 13, 1956 w. E. swENsoN 2,737,933

ENGINE Filed OCT.. 1l, 1952 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENToR. Wu/4M E 5MM/Solv Arrow/sys I nite nNGnsn William E. Swenson, St. Paul, Minn., assigner to Minneapolis-Moline Company, Hopkins, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Application ctober 11, 1952, Serial No. 314,310

Claims. (Cl. 12E-41.33)

This invention relates generally to improvements in internal combustion engines, and more specilically to an engine particularly suited for operation in the oil fields, and other uses where its characteristics are suitable.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an engine so constructed and arranged that it may be laid down as a package unit and, when connected to a suitable source of fuel, will run for a long period of time, for example as long as a year, continuously and without requiring service or attention of any kind. Such operation, as stated, is particularly useful in the oil fields where the engines must run under load for long periods of time and where the fuel supply is no problem, since the natural gas product of the oil iield operations may be advantageously used as fuel for the engine. The engine has an extremely eicient cooling system of the type disclosed in my prior application Serial No. 284,682, tiled April 28, 1952, and in accordance with this invention and forming a part of the cooling system is a large water reservoir for containing water, anti-freeze or other coolant in a volume sufcient for operation for the stated long periods of time. For lubrication there is also provided a large oil reservoir from which oil is automatically valved as necessary to maintain a working level of lubricant in the engine, as will presently appear.

A further object of the invention is to provide an engine of this general type wherein the crank case is water-jacketed and the cooling water is circulated through the jacket in such fashion as to condition the lubricating oil, as to temperature, for the most efiicient lubrication and operation of the engine. This is particularly desirable in an engine which may be subject not only to operation over long periods of time without attention, but also may well be exposed to the elements with but little protection.

A further object is to provide an improved oil lter assembly for internal combustion engines wherein the filter is located in the crank case in the most desirable location with reference to the engine as a whole, but in which provision is made for the removal and replacement of the filter unit, per se, without the escape of and loss of oil from the crank case.

A further object of the invention is to provide various related improvements in engines of this nature, all of which mutually contribute to its advantageous operation and construction, and among which are the location of the belt pulley bearings in a position inA which they will be splash lubricated from the crank case; the location of the oil pump in a lioating manner directly upon the crank shaft; the use of a thermostatically controlled valve which will return the water circulating to the crank case water jacket directly to the water reservoir where `the temperature of the water issuch that it needs no cooling, and the like. j

These and other more detailed and specific objectswill be disclosed in the course of the following specification,

reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- 2,737,933 Patented Mar. 13,

ICC

Fig. l is a frontal elevation and perspective of th` engine according to the present invention and also illus trating the combination heat exchanger, pump and fly wheel forming the subject matter of my prior applica tion.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view at one side of the engint and particularly showing the location of the oil filter.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view from the other side of thi engine showing the connection through which fuel i` supplied to the engine.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged horizontal sectional and plal view with portions of the engine broken away anc omitted, this view being taken substantially along th line 4 4 in Fig. 5.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional View through the centra portion of the engine, partially in elevation, and taker substantially along the line 5 5 in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a still further enlarged vertical sectional an( detail view through the oil filter assembly and relate( lubricating elements of the engine, appearing at the lowe: right in Fig. 5. f

Fig. 7 is a vertical and front-to-back sectional vieu along the axis of the crank shaft showing the oil an( water reservoirs and the crank case with water jacket, but omitting other elements of the engine for the sake o1 clarity.

v Referring now more particularly and by reference characters to the drawing, the engine is seen to comprise as its primary components a crank case, designated gen erally at 1l), iianged at its opposite ends l1 and 12 anc bolted through these ilanges at 13 to spaced, hollow reservoirs or reservoir housings, indicated generally a1 14 and 15. As best shown in Fig. 5 the crank case 10 is of irregular but substantially rectilinear shape in cross section and at one side is formed with an opening 1u for the accommodation of a cylinder block 17 whereir the cylinders 18 are formed for the pistons 19. In this particular instance the engine is of the two cylinder size but it may, of course, be of any size according to the power required. More or less conventionally the vcylinder block 17 is fitted, at the end remote from the crank case, with a cylinder head assembly, designated generally a1 20, wherein are formed the combustion and manifolding chambers and recesses, with provision for the intake and exhaust valves as usual. Fuel is supplied through a manifold 21 at the lower side of the head and connected to a suitable carburetion device 22. ln oil field applications the engine will, in most instances, be powered by natural gas, the supply of which is taken through a fuel connection 23 emerging at one side of the engine in a conveniently accessible location. The ignition system for the engine is not important to an understanding of the present invention and will not be described herein, although it is desirably of the completely water-proof type, since such engines are in many cases exposed to the elements with but little protection. The engine further includes the customary crankshaft, designated generally at 24, connected by connecting rods 25 to the pistons 19 and the opposed end journals 26 and 27 of the crank shaft are journaled through the reservoirs 14 and l5 and carried by suitable anti-friction bearings, indicated throughout at 28. At what, for convenience sake, will herein be regarded as the front of the engine the crank shaft 25 is secured at 29 (Fig. 4) to a large circular heat exchanger pump and flywheely unit, designated generally at 30, which forms the subject matter of my prior application Serial No. 284,682. This unit 3i), of course, revolves with the crank shaft and it includes a plurality of hollow finned fan blades 3l of the sirocco type, which are secured at 32 to a circular back plate 33, and into and through which the cooling medium, whether it be water alone or a combination thereof with an anti-freeze, is

gine, as set forth in the earlier application.'- Such connection 34 communicates with one duct 35 of a stationary tubular, manifold element 36 extending to the axis of rotation of theheat exchanger and from which Vaxis the coolant travels outwardly underthei-nuence of centrifugal force through a plurality oflrarlially located' tubes 37. The'outer ends of these tubes are-connected to an annular intake element 33 communicating with the .blades and secured to a front plate. 39, between. which plates and the aforesaid back plate 33 the. blades 31 are mounted. The Water or other coolant emerges from the blades through openings, appearing at win-Fig 4and -is returned to the engine by .stationary scoop tubes 41 leading back to thejaxis of rotationjand communicating .with another duct 42 in the member 36, as nmFig. l. The said duct 42 is in turn connected to a. return .pipe 43 havingconnection to` the engine. As' pointed. out in. detail in the earlier application this heat .exchanger unitgl) not only coolsbut centrifugally circulates.the.cooling rnedium, acting in itself as a water pump for they' engine, andtinally utilizes theweight of the coolant, vasitows through the hollow blades 31, for its iywheel effect, .combining all of these functions in the one assembly.

The forward reservoir 14 carriesV a supply of water or other coolant for circulation through the heat exchanger Si) and through the engine for cooling the samel. Said reservoir for this purpose is hollow, as .best shown in F'gpi, with spaced front and rear walls 44 and 45 and a surrounding water-tight. Wall portion of irregularshape indicated at 46, thus forming an enclosedl chamber 47. This chamber may be lled from the top by the tillerplug 48 and the aforesaid water pipe connections 34 and 43 are made to the forward wall 44 of the reservoir'. In

the case of the pipe 34 through which the wateris taken for cooling in the heat exchanger 30, the same A,cornmunicates through a passage 49, appearing in Fig. 4, which is in turn connected by a manifold `-connection 50 for circulating` the'water through the cylinder block 17 as well as the cylinder head. Another pipe connection is made at 51, as seen in Fig. 3, from the cylinder block and through the rear Wall 45 of the reservoir 14 and, the circulating system is thus so arranged `that theheat exchanger 30, which as described acts also as a pumprwill draw water from the reservoir 14 through the` connection 51 and through the .cylinder block and head and after the water has passedin heat exchanging relation for cooling the engine the Vwater will be drawn through .the connection 50 and passage 49, out through the pipe 34 for circulation through the heat exchanger andnally forlreturn through the pipe 43 to the reservoir. It..will, of course, be obvious that this pipe connection 43.is made directly through the forward wall 44 to communicate with thechamber 47. Located at.52 in the.. pipe 50, through which water is drawn from the engine',.is,a conventional thermostat .(not shown) which operates a valve 53vand`this valve may bypass the water directly .through thepports 54 back to the reservoir chamber 47Y when the temperature is such that .it needs nocooling by .the,.heat exchanger 30, as will be readily-understood.

It is also important to note that, asshown inTQFigs. and 7, the crank case is water jacketed,forming water chambers indicated throughout at 5,5 and comaaAnl .operating level, indicated at64, of oil is .con-

' tinuously maintained in the crankcase 10 fromv the-supply in the reservoir and forthis purpose, as seen in Fig. 7, the lower part of the reservoir 15is formed with a oat chamber 65 isolated from the reservoir chamber 61 but communicating through ports 66 'and 67 with the crank case, so that oil will stand in this chamber at the same level as that in the crank case itself. Located below the .oat chamber 65 there is a cylindrical recess 68..which communicates with the reservoir, chamber 61, .and oil entering thisrecess 68 passes through a screen 69..Which is screwed into the recessfrom the outside of; the ireservoir. After passing through the screen, which removes any. chips orjother' foreign matter,.the oil emerges at 70 .'.into a-passag'e 71 communicating with the float chamber "65." .This passage 71 is formed with vavalve seat.72

Y against which a'ball 73 is normally seated by the action ofa oat 74,an`d this float isY connected toy a lever y75 fulcmmed at 76 in such manner 'that as the oat rises the lever' willpress the 'ball 73 to its seat'. fore',.whe'n1the oil level 64 drops in the crank case, fas it `'wi'll'during the continuous operation of the enginethe -float 74.`will .descend Yin the float chamber 65 allowing Obviously, therethe valve ball 73 to move offy its seat 72 and additional Q1 ,oil .will then be drawn from the reservoir. chamber 61 through the screen' 69 and passage 71 to replenish and maintain the oil level in the crank case. In order to observe the level ofthe oil level in the crank casefrom outside theengine the rear wall 59 of the reservoir is pro- 1 vided with an.inspection opening 77 closed by a transparentv sight glass 78.

In. addition to the normal splash lubrication ofthe .operating parts of theengine, the oil in the crank case is also circulated by an oil pump, designated generally at 79, to bearings or wherever required and in accordance with this invention this oil pump 79 is arranged to float -upon the forward journal 27 of the crank shaft 24. The pump rotor is operated by the. crank shaft, whereas .the housing thereabout is held stationary by inlet and '.outlet port means which communicates with an oil manifold 80 haying intake. and discharge, ducts. 81 and. 82. This manifold isbolted at 83 to the reservoir 14.` and `depends therefrom downwardly below the level ofthe crank shaft and below the crank case oil levelv 64. At j its lower. end .the manifold 80 is formed with an `offset .bracket extension 84 which is bolted at 85 to therbottom of the crank case for holding this-.assemblyvr stationary, and at its lower end the discharge .duct 81 for the. pump opens 'at 86 through the4 face ofthis bracket munication is providedbetweenfthis 4waterv jacketand the VWater reservoir, as by/means of alignedports S6 4and 57 in the meeting surfaces ofthe crank case vand 'reservoir'. Thus the Watermay valso..circulate in intimate -heat exchanging. relation `with that .PQrtion of the; crank vcase in which the lubricating; oiLstands, inY order. to

utilize thetemperature of the water forconditieningl the oil for. bestlubrication and most[efficient-operation of extension 84, toward the adjacentsidewall 8 7 of the crank case. Inalignment withthe bracket extension Ithis wall 87 is providedwith a large, .circular andanged open.-

ing 88 for accommodating an oil filter .assembly,;desig i natedv generally at 89, shortly toy be described.:y The lower Vend ofthe intake .duct 82 frornthepumpcom- 65A rnunicatesY with the crankcase througha commercially 'available type of combinationscreen and oatde signated .generally at 90, 'and no description Ishould be necessary herein.

" Thel oillter.,.assembly 89 includes an inside .cupglike opening 8 8 through theA crank casewall. This flange 92 is `dispo''sedbetweengaskets 94f and`.is.he1d in-place by an outer.; cover., 9.5.,also of, cup-like formation, but-:shorter than the container 91. Extending axially Vthmughzzthis cylindrical assembly is an elongated mounting stud 96 over which is loosely fitted the perforated core 97 of a lter element 98 of suitable fibrous material enclosed between imperforate ends 99 and an outer cylindrical and perforated cover 100. Centering nuts 101 and 102 are screwed upon the opposite ends of the stud 96 for centering the filter element within the receptacle and the inner end of the stud 96 is also screwed into the bracket S4 so that the entire assembly may be held stationary within the engine and the cap 95 pulled tight against the gaskets. The outward opening 86 of the discharge duct 2 aforesaid communicates with an opening 106 in the adjacent end 104 of the filter unit (Fig. 6) so that oil will enter the filter and then ow from outside in, as shown by the arrows. The filtered oil emerges from the filter through a keyway 103 cut in the stud 96. The inner end 104 of the container 91 is pulled tight against a gasket 105 but this end 104 has an up-. wardly, radially extending and shallow channel `107 communicating with keyway 104. As designated at 108 this channel 107 opens upwardly above the gasket105 so that oil, after passing through the filter and after being forced through the filter material 9S by the pump, may return to the crank case and so that there is a continuous circulation of the oil. Obviously the filter element will need occasional replacement and this may be readily accomplished by removing the nut 102 at the outside of the engine so that the cap 95 may be taken off and the filter unit pulled off the stud 96 for replacement. It will be noted, however, that because the point 108 at which the interior of the container 91 communicates with the crank case is considerably above the oil level 64, the oil cannot escape even when the filter unit is removed. This is a distinct advantage in servicing this part of the engine, as will be readily realized. -As best shown in Fig. 6 there are separate drain plugs 109 and 110 for the crank case and filter unit for obvious purposes.

Power is taken from the engine off the rear end 26 of the crank shaft in any suitable manner, but as here shown is by a belt pulley 111 and controlled connection is made between the crank shaft and the belt pulley through an intermediate clutch, a portion of which appears at 112 in Fig. 4. Bearings 28 and 113, by which this end of the crank shaft and the pulley are supported, are located in an opening 114 traversing the oil reservoir and this opening, while it is sealed at its outer end as indicated at 115, communicates at its inner end through an annular passageway 116 with the interior of the crank case. Thus these bearings are lubricated by crank case splash in addition to the force lubrication through'the ordinary crank shaft borings shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4.

It is believed that the operation of the engine will be readily apparent from the foregoing and basically, of course, the operation is identical with that of the common types of internal combustion engines. Of chief importance is the fact that the crank case assembly 10 is bolted between the reservoirs 14 and 15 and these reservoirs are large enough in capacity to contain water and oil, respectively, in a volume sufficient to operate the engine over long periods of time without attention. In fact, the engine will require little servicing under any conditions. The oil filter location and construction as described is advantageous from the service aspect also. Not only do the reservoirs 14 and 15 supply the needed coolant and lubricant materials for the engine but they also act as supporting bases for the engine as a whole, being provided with the feet 117 shown in the various views for this purpose. Splash lubrication of the belt pulley bearings contributes to the ability of the engine to operate over long periods of time without attention and the temperature conditioning of the lubricating oil by the water jacket crank case is also important in maintaining the engine in the best operating condition under all conditions.

It is understood that suitable modifications may be made in the structure as disclosed, provided such modifications come within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having now therefore fully illustrated and described my invention, what I claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. An internal combustion engine construction including a crankcase having openings at its opposite ends and a crankshaft extending from said openings, spaced apart hollow reservoir housings arranged in upright positions and one at each end of said crankcase, means securing said housings to the crankcase ends to serve as direct supports for the crankcase, the said housings having bearings through Which said crankshaft is journaled, one of said housings serving as a reservoir for cooling fluid for the engine and the other as a reservoir for lubricating oil for the engine.

2. In an internal combustion engine having a crankcase with openings at its opposed ends and a crankshaft having its ends extruding loosely out through said openings, a pair of upright housings larger than said crankcase and disposed directly against said opposed ends thereof, means securing the crankcase to said housings whereby the housings act as supports for the crankcase, the said housings having bearings aligned with the openings in the opposed ends of the crankcase and rotatably supporting the said ends of the crankshaft, and the said housings being hollow and serving as reservoirs for cooling and lubricating fluids for the engine.

3. In an internal combustion engine having a crankcase with openings at its opposed ends and a crankshaft having its ends extruding loosely out through said openings, a pair of upright housings larger than said crankcase and disposed directly against said opposed ends thereof, means securing the crankcase to said housings whereby the housings act as supports for the crankcase, the said housings having bearings aligned with the openings in the opposed ends of the crankcase and rotatably supporting the said ends of the crankshaft, the said housings being hollow and serving as reservoirs for cooling and lubricating fiuids for the engine, the said crankcase having water jackets and means providing direct communication between the jackets and the interior of the housing which serves as a reservoir for cooling liuid, means providing communication between the other housing and the interior of the crankcase itself, and a valve for controlling the supply of lubricating liquid from said other housing to the crankcase.

4. In an internal combustion engine having a crankcase with openings at its opposed ends and a crankshaft having its ends extruding loosely out through said openings, a pair of upright housings larger than said crankcase and disposed directly against said opposed ends thereof, means securing the crankcase to said housings whereby the housings act as supports for the crankcase, the said housings having bearings aligned with the openings in the opposed ends of the crankcase and rotatably supporting the said ends of the crankshaft, the said housings being hollow and serving as reservoirs for cooling and lubricating fluids for the engine, the said crankcase having water jackets and means providing direct communication between the jackets and the interior of the housing which serves as a reservoir for cooling fiuid, means providing communication between the other housing and the interior of the crankcase itself, and a valve for controlling the supply of lubricating liquid from said other housing to the crankcase, said last mentioned means comprising a float controlled valve completely enclosed within the housing which acts as a reservoir for the lubricating fiuid.

5. An engine construction which comprises a crankcase having a surrounding wall and front and rear aperftured ends, a .crankshaft extending Vthrough the erankcase and projecting at its ends through the apertured ,ends of ythe.erankcase:front andl rear housingshaving surroundjing walls andinnerzand outerf end Walls and supporting feet, the front to rear dimensions of said housings being less than that of the erankcase, the housingsA being disposed in: upright positions at the frontend rear respective- 1y of thecnankcase with thetinner end walls of the housings against the ends of the crankcase, means vsecuring the ,housings against the adjacentends of the crankcase to :thereby support the crankcase,:bearings isolated from the .interior ofv the housings but opening front'and rear .through the housings to journal the ends of the crank- Butler Oct. 7; 41890 8 Than-1m June 19, Rogers May 22, f Krieg, May 29, McCray Sept. 3, 1 Spackman Feb. 9, -Allen Apr. 19, Frye et a1., Sept. 12, Radford Dec. 20, Me1drum Dee. 29, Worthington May 4, Hathaway May 24, `Oaks May 16,

FOREIGNv PATENTS Great Britain Nov. 6, Germany May 1,

1923 192s 192s 1929 1932 1932 193s 1932 1942 1943 1949 195o 

